Kansas City woman claims she was refused medical treatment over her politics

[KansDem]

Source: kshb.com

PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. - With the presidential election less than a week away one Kansas City woman says it can't be over soon enough.

Linda Lighton contacted 41 Action News claiming her doctor refused to treat her because of her political views.

Both the Lighton and her physician, Dr. Robert Battmer, agree there was a discussion about a political sign hanging inside the doctor's office. They disagree on how it ended.

She said Battmer escorted her out after she told him she wasn't voting for his candidate for president.

"I think everybody is entitled to an opinion," Lighton said.

But on Monday, Lighton said her own opinion got her removed from her gynecologist's office.

"As I went into the office part, he had a Romney/Ryan poster pasted on his door. He said, 'Did you see this Romney sign?' I said, 'Well I did,'" she recounted.

Lighton said Battmer went on to say very negative comments about the president.

"'Mr. Obama is Muslim,' and a lot of other stuff," she said. "I wish I could have recorded it."

She was more shocked by the next thing she claims he said to her.

"He said 'I won't service anybody if they don't vote for Romney,'" she said. "I was like, 'Well, I will be voting President Obama,' and he said, 'Well, I can't help you then.'"

Lighton said Battmer proceeded to escort her out of the office.



Read more: http://www.kshb.com/dpp/news/local_news/kansas-city-woman-claims-she-was-refused-medical-treatment-over-her-politics

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Doctors and other professionals shouldn't be politicking from their offices where they meet with clients.

[The Wizard]

1. File a complaint

with the board of medical ethics

[shawn703]

2. So she takes her money elsewhere

She'd be better served by a gynecologist who would vote for Obama/Biden anyway, and wouldn't go along with the Republicans' anti-woman, pro-rape agenda.

[pennylane100]

21. Well of course she will be taking her money elsewhere

but I wonder if the doctor is breaking any laws. If he accepts insurance I think there must be some kind of rule whereby he has to accept all patients that have that particular insurance and I hope he gets some kind of reprimand.

I think it would also be great if there were a group of Obama supporters that could picket his office for a while, long enough to lose him a good portion of his practice. And a mention of facebook would also help.

[Dubster]

3. Spam deleted by gkhouston (MIR Team)

[Bernardo de La Paz]

30. Doctor Who regenerates every few years: link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regeneration_%28Doctor_Who%29

[BadgerKid]

53. LOL.

Well played.

[southernyankeebelle]

4. He deny it. I hate going to doctors office now that have on news channels unless it is a state

of emergency. Put the tv on a neutral channel. Even a cartoon channel.

[McCamy Taylor]

5. File a complaint with the medical board.

[Mojorabbit]

58. +1000 nt

[CaliGal]

6. I wouldn't let this man touch me!

I say good riddance! Find a doctor without his head up his ass!

[Squinch]

38. A guy like this doesn't know where the lady parts are anyhow.

He'd probably tell her to turn her head and cough to try to get a pap smear.

I'd be looking for the crackerjacks crumbs on the diploma.

[AlbertCat]

55. Find a doctor without his head up his ass!

Or one with a head in the 1st place. I mean "Obama's a Muslim".... too dumb to practice medicine.

[lexx21]

7. If Romney wins, we will all be getting "serviced" n/t

[PlanetBev]

8. Sheeesh....

How unprofessional.

I'd never let a freak like that look up my name and address. I'd be a cloud of dust heading for the front door.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

47. "I'd never let a freak like that look up my name and address"

I'd never heard it called that before....

[Manifestor_of_Light]

9. I went to a doctor's office that will not take cash, believe it or not.

He did not get my business, obviously, since my money is not green enough for him.

[ashling]

10. Wasn't there a Dr. in Florida who got

in trouble for something like that?

[KansDem]

14. Don't know about that, but there were doctors in Florida...

...who refused to see women who they considered were overweight:

Should doctors be allowed to refuse obese patients?
http://theweek.com/article/index/215391/should-doctors-be-allowed-to-refuse-obese-patients

Some ob-gyns in South Florida turn away overweight women
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/lifestyles/health/some-ob-gyns-in-south-florida-turn-away-overweight/nLsR4/

I'll keep looking...

[ashling]

50. Here is what I was thinking about

http://hotair.com/archives/2010/04/02/doctor-tells-obamacare-supporters-to-find-another-urologist/

Critics raised questions about Cassell’s ethics. Doctors are not allowed to refuse treatment to patients on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation in Florida, but political differences aren’t covered by the ethics regulations. Cassell says he wouldn’t refuse to treat supporters of the new law, but he wants to make his displeasure with it publicly known so that those who disagree can choose to get treated elsewhere.

[redwhiteblue]

54. Wasn't there a doctor in Florida.

Yes, there certainly was. He hung a sign on his outside door saying if you were voting for Obama, go elsewhere for a doctor. I had already quit him because he was weird. If I hadn't, I certainly would have after reading that. He looked like a kid and acted like a kid. I was referred to him by my regular doctor. He came in my hospital room and I thought he looked like teenager, and I said to him, "You look like a kid." He left the room and came back wearing an over-sized pair of white framed glasses. He just stood there and I didn't remark on it.

[ashling]

57. Doogie Howser?

[HockeyMom]

11. A doctor did this in Florida

Put a sign outside his office saying, "I will not treat Obama supporters". Find another doctor, or DON'T TELL HIM.

[Ash_F]

12. "'Mr. Obama is Muslim" <- could not have been a great doctor

...if he is that stupid.

[nobodyspecial]

18. No kidding

I could see if he said the health care changes threaten his bottom line. Don't agree, but that would at least be logical and rational. Obama is a Muslim? I would run.... quickly.

[mike_c]

13. this is the inevitable result of divisive partisan politics...

...and in particular divisive, partisan TWO PARTY politics.

[Blue_Tires]

46. One of my specialists put a huge Gadsen flag in his waiting room

during the Healthcare Act debates...I bit my tongue because he's a really good specialist

[Vietnameravet]

15. nd he is a good god fearing Christ loving Christian..who just happens to spread hate and lies..

[Spitfire of ATJ]

48. With a speculum.

[nichomachus]

16. I went in to see my doctor

who is actually a liberal and works in a group practice. He said that my blood pressure was a little high. I said, "Of course it is. I just had to spend an hour sitting out there listening to that shit on Fox News." He laughed. The women at the front desk control the TV and there are a lot of geezers there who want to see Fox, which is basically just TeleTubbies for geriatrics -- except more poisonous.

My Ophthalmologist, OTOH, has a large-screen TV with a slideshow of beautiful nature images and very soothing music playing. All doctors' offices should be required to have that.

[SoapBox]

22. Ditto to the FuksNews channel...

I've seen it on in 2 of my Mom's offices...and, of all places, a lab! Hell, is that really what you want
patients to see when they are waiting for blood drawings, etc.???

[nichomachus]

25. Unfortunately, it's what a lot of patients want to see

A few months ago, my partner was undergoing surgery. I went in to see him in the recovery room. While I was gone, a woman came into the surgical waiting room and asked that Fox be put on the TV. The friend who was staying with me, went up to the woman who was in charge of the room and complained, asking her to put it on CNN. She said she was glad he asked. She was just waiting for someone to complain.

He said to me "I knew that Fox is the last thing you'd want to see after coming out of the recovery room." He was right.

[easychoice]

39. take a universal remote with you

It drives them crazy when the T.V. goes batshit on them.I do it all the time,it really is great fun.

[susanna]

60. Nice...lol. n/t

[stillcool]

17. I wouldn't want a doctor..

who is that small-minded, and ignorant touching me. I don't care who he votes for, but that stuff he spouted is a huge red flag.

[SoapBox]

19. A couple of my Mom's offices have...

attempted to make some kind of "spew" about Obama in conversations.

A poditrist...I don't like that guy anyway...he always seems angry! And then the office manager and a nurse
at her pain management office. I just said...OH PLEASE, don't even go there!

And then there is my neice...a wonderful person...an ICU lead nurse...that called a few weeks ago RANTING because
at a meeting that the hospital had (note: a REQUIRED meeting for all staff) regarding the readmission within 30 days,
of persons, for the same problem (blah, blah, blah). Bottom line here, I asked many a question...and got back, WELL,
the hospital only said...

Combo of take a few lies and then a big dose of misinformation...and then rant about ObamaCare?!?

America gets stoopider by the day!

[kath]

20. Gee, how did I know even before opening this thread that the doc (or other medical person) refusing

to give treatment was a Repuke.

I must be psychic...

[lark]

23. I work in the medical field

Depending on what type of insurance coverage she has (or doesn't have), she can definitely report this and get that f***er in trouble. If she has Medicare or commercial insurance she needs to contact ACHA. If it's Medicaid, she needs to contact the agency in charge of that in her state.

[defacto7]

24. So, does that doctor think that's going to get Romney votes...

or does he just like to be mean? maybe make people suffer?

it's the ethical bottom of the barrel.

[nichomachus]

26. My former ophthalmologist

was putting drops in my eyes one day. He handed me a tissue and said "You only get one. That's all Nancy Pelosi will let you have."

[KansDem]

34. "Former"

I might be tempted to say, "Let me give you one tissue...wrapped around my fist!" but then, I never was very good at diplomacy.

[catbyte]

27. Odd. I work in the College of Health Professions Undergrad Office at a public

university and every single faculty member supports Obamacare, although they would've preferred Single Payer. They come back from class shaking their heads at some of the RW crap their students spew. It sort of figures with the students--we are in a conservative part of the state and students haven't learned to think for thrmselves yet. Lots of Freshmen.

[edbermac]

28. I hope she goes back there next Wednesday.

Just to laugh in his face.

[Scootaloo]

29. Holding my breath on this one

granted, since names are named, it's probably legit, but... well, after B-girl, "last minute political abuse" sets off my BS-sniffers.

[allan01]

31. re:Kansas City woman claims she was refused medical treatment over her politics

then this dr dosent deserve to be a dr. needs to be striped of his license and a violation of hipocratic oath. complain to the medical ethics and state licenseing board as others here have indicated.dr. heal thy self !

[geckosfeet]

32. If said doctor is getting Medicare or Medicaid payments -I think he just broke the law.

[freshwest]

33. Had a run-in years ago in a conservative area with the doctors. They wanted me to sign a petition on

'Tort Reform.' I said I wasn't interested and got abused from staff ever after that, as they insisted that I sign it. The doctor I'd come to see had passed the patient caseload temporarily to another, who lied about it, I later found. The 'doctor' proceeded to read me the riot act for being on the caseload, as at the time all I had was basic Medicare.

Said doctor then made a lot of insults, saying I was being done a big favor and clinic was losing money. My doctor was quite well off, and didn't mind carrying a few of us. Not as well off as the repuke who stole the caseload. Later I got insurance, but they kept on with the routine, hen tried to triple bill. I called my insurance to inform them and got harrassing calls from the same repukes.

It was a nightmare. I live in a liberal area, but I'll never forget the way they treated people in an area where there were literally no other clinics to go to. That area routinely turned away all referrals for insurance reasons, no matter how sick one was. The social atmosphere was very hostile and hateful towards Democrats and liberals. I'll never go back there.

The reason why many of these complaints never see the light of day is because the people being verbally and socially assaulted by these intolerant repukes are usually physically ill, emotionally and financially stressed. They don't have the energy, money or transportation to get away from these @#$%&*!

[justiceischeap]

35. "Service her" says it all (if it's true). nt

[DFW]

36. Isn't something like this enough to get the guy disbarred?

Sometimes, I'm not so sorry to be living in northern Europe, no matter HOW lousy the weather is!

[Swede Atlanta]

37. I don't think there is a political view exception in the Hippocratic oath....

Definitely file a complaint with the state body responsible for licensing.

Then go to Craig's list and other social media and recount your story. I don't care what a person's political beliefs are. When they have the privilege of serving as a licensed physician, they are bound by the hippocratic oath and the oath they swore when there were licensed to serve the public.

He should lose his medical license permanently for this, if true.

[barbtries]

40. if it was my doctor

he wouldn't have had enough time to turn me down as a patient. i would have already been shopping for the next one. i hope my doctor's a democrat, because i like him.

[Wernothelpless]

41. She's going to have a nice settlement ...

And the doctor will lose his license to practice medicine ...

[patrice]

42. It may also be advisable not to reveal political affiliation when having a loved on assessed for

admittance into long-term care.

[Rainngirl]

43. Wow!

That's the difference between them and us. Compassion. They don't have it.

[greiner3]

44. There HAS to be a joke;

With a Romney supporter who is a gynecologist but I can't think of one off hand; anyone?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

49. I tossed a few.

[progressoid]

45. She's better off elsewhere.

I dumped a Dentist after I heard him cheering the 2004 election results. And dumped a physical therapist that thought that vaccines weren't needed.

[felix_numinous]

51. Unethical

physicians cannot discriminate, it is part of the oath they take.

[TruthTeller]

52. This is why I am leaving my doctor of many years...

she is batshit crazy whenever I go into her office. She starts puttig down Obama. She hates insurance companies too. She hates AHCA and will not digitize her records.

[glinda]

56. Seriously she should be grateful and find a better doctor.

[lunasun]

59. wtf ? bill him for time wasted!!! accepting appts then breaking them?

should have been advised over phone of policy - nut and unprofessional

[truthisfreedom]

61. And this is what repukes stand for. Obstructionist obstetricians.

Okay, he's a gynecologist, but I got more mileage out of the other type of doctor who spends some time working in the same geographical area of the female body. Sorry.

[Marmitist]

62. Time for a boycott!

Contrary to popular belief, most Rmoney voters are poorer than a pig in shit, and we should make sure that the only patients this fuckhead doctor has are Rmoney voters. Asshole needs to learn that you leave politics out of your professional life!